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		<h1>8. The Deadly Poppy Field</h1>
<p>
Our little party of travelers awakened 
the next morning refreshed and full of 
hope, and Dorothy breakfasted like a 
princess off peaches and plums from 
the trees beside the river. Behind 
them was the dark forest they had 
passed safely through, although they 
had suffered many discouragements; but 
before them was a lovely, sunny 
country that seemed to beckon them on 
to the Emerald City.
</p><p>
To be sure, the broad river now cut 
them off from this beautiful land. But 
the raft was nearly done, and after 
the Tin Woodman had cut a few more 
logs and fastened them together with 
wooden pins, they were ready to start. 
Dorothy sat down in the middle of the 
raft and held Toto in her arms. When 
the Cowardly Lion stepped upon the   
raft it tipped badly, for he was big 
and heavy; but the Scarecrow and the 
Tin Woodman stood upon the other end 
to steady it, and they had long poles 
in their hands to push the raft 
through the water.
</p><p>
They got along quite well at first, 
but when they reached the middle of 
the river the swift current swept the 
raft downstream, farther and farther 
away from the road of yellow brick. 
And the water grew so deep that the 
long poles would not touch the bottom.
</p><p>
<span class="diag10">"This is bad,"</span> said the Tin 
Woodman, <span class="diag10">"for if 
we cannot get to the land we shall be 
carried into the country of the Wicked 
Witch of the West, and she will 
enchant us and make us her slaves."</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag9">"And then I 
should get no brains,"</span> said the 
Scarecrow.
</p><p>
<span class="diag11">"And I should get 
no courage,"</span> said the Cowardly 
Lion.
</p><p>
<span class="diag10">"And I should get 
no heart,"</span> said the Tin Woodman.
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"And I should 
never get back to Kansas,"</span> said 
Dorothy.
</p><p>
<span class="diag9">"We must certainly 
get to the Emerald City if we can,"</span> the Scarecrow 
continued, and he pushed so hard on 
his long pole that it stuck fast in 
the mud at the bottom of the river. 
Then, before he could pull it out 
again--or let go--the raft was swept 
away, and the poor Scarecrow left 
clinging to the pole in the middle of 
the river.
</p><p>
<span class="diag9">"Good-bye!"</span> he called after 
them, and they were very sorry to 
leave him. Indeed, the Tin Woodman 
began to cry, but fortunately 
remembered that he might rust, and so 
dried his tears on Dorothy's apron.
</p><p>
Of course this was a bad thing for the 
Scarecrow.
</p><p>
<span class="diag9">"I am now worse 
off than when I first met Dorothy,"</span> he thought. <span class="diag9">"Then, 
I was stuck on a pole in a cornfield, 
where I could make-believe scare the 
crows, at any rate. But surely there 
is no use for a Scarecrow stuck on a 
pole in the middle of a river. I am 
afraid I shall never have any brains, 
after all!"</span>
</p><p>
Down the stream the raft floated, and 
the poor Scarecrow was left far 
behind. Then the Lion said:
</p><p>
<span class="diag11">"Something must 
be done to save us. I think I can swim 
to the shore and pull the raft after 
me, if you will only hold fast to the 
tip of my tail."</span>
</p><p>
So he sprang into the water, and the 
Tin Woodman caught fast hold of his 
tail. Then the Lion began to swim with 
all his might toward the shore. It was 
hard work, although he was so big; but 
by and by they were drawn out of the 
current, and then Dorothy took the Tin 
Woodman's long pole and helped push 
the raft to the land.
</p><p>
They were all tired out when they 
reached the shore at last and stepped 
off upon the pretty green grass, and 
they also knew that the stream had 
carried them a long way past the road 
of yellow brick that led to the 
Emerald City.
</p><p>
<span class="diag10">"What shall we do 
now?"</span> asked the Tin Woodman, as 
the Lion lay down on the grass to let 
the sun dry him.
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"We must get back 
to the road, in some way,"</span> said 
Dorothy.
</p><p>
<span class="diag11">"The best plan 
will be to walk along the riverbank 
until we come to the road again,"</span> remarked the Lion.
</p><p>
So, when they were rested, Dorothy 
picked up her basket and they started 
along the grassy bank, to the road 
from which the river had carried them. 
It was a lovely country, with plenty 
of flowers and fruit trees and 
sunshine to cheer them, and had they 
not felt so sorry for the poor 
Scarecrow, they could have been very 
happy.
</p><p>
They walked along as fast as they 
could, Dorothy only stopping once to 
pick a beautiful flower; and after a 
time the Tin Woodman cried out: 
<span class="diag10">"Look!"</span>
</p><p>
Then they all looked at the river and 
saw the Scarecrow perched upon his 
pole in the middle of the water, 
looking very lonely and sad.
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"What can we do to 
save him?"</span> asked Dorothy.
</p><p>
The Lion and the Woodman both shook 
their heads, for they did not know. So 
they sat down upon the bank and gazed 
wistfully at the Scarecrow until a 
Stork flew by, who, upon seeing them, 
stopped to rest at the water's edge.
</p><p>
<span class="diag12">"Who are you and 
where are you going?"</span> asked the Stork.
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"I am Dorothy,"</span> answered 
the girl, <span class="diag4">"and 
these are my friends, the Tin Woodman 
and the Cowardly Lion; and we are 
going to the Emerald City."</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag12">"This isn't the 
road,"</span> said the Stork, as she 
twisted her long neck and looked 
sharply at the queer party.
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"I know it,"</span> 
returned Dorothy, <span class="diag4">"but we 
have lost the Scarecrow, and are 
wondering how we shall get him 
again."</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag12">"Where is he?"</span> asked the Stork.
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"Over there in the 
river,"</span> answered the little 
girl.
</p><p>
<span class="diag12">"If he wasn't so 
big and heavy I would get him for you,"</span> remarked the Stork.
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"He isn't heavy a 
bit,"</span> said Dorothy 
eagerly, <span class="diag4">"for he 
is stuffed with straw; and if you will 
bring him back to us, we shall thank 
you ever and ever so much."</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag12">"Well, I'll try,"</span> said the Stork, <span class="diag12">"but if I find he is too 
heavy to carry I shall have to drop 
him in the river again."</span>
</p><p>
So the big bird flew into the air and 
over the water till she came to where 
the Scarecrow was perched upon his 
pole. Then the Stork with her great 
claws grabbed the Scarecrow by the arm 
and carried him up into the air and 
back to the bank, where Dorothy and 
the Lion and the Tin Woodman and Toto 
were sitting.
</p><p>
When the Scarecrow found himself among 
his friends again, he was so happy 
that he hugged them all, even the Lion 
and Toto; and as they walked along he 
sang <span class="diag9">"Tol-de-ri-de-oh!"</span> at every step, 
he felt so gay.
</p><p>
<span class="diag9">"I was afraid I 
should have to stay in the river 
forever,"</span> he said, <span class="diag9">"but 
the kind Stork saved me, and if I ever 
get any brains I shall find the Stork 
again and do her some kindness in 
return."</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag12">"That's all 
right,"</span> said the Stork, who was 
flying along beside them. <span class="diag12">"I 
always like to help anyone in trouble. 
But I must go now, for my babies are 
waiting in the nest for me. I hope you 
will find the Emerald City and that Oz 
will help you."</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"Thank you,"</span> replied Dorothy, 
and then the kind Stork flew into the 
air and was soon out of sight.
</p><p>
They walked along listening to the 
singing of the brightly colored birds 
and looking at the lovely flowers 
which now became so thick that the 
ground was carpeted with them. There 
were big yellow and white and blue and 
purple blossoms, besides great 
clusters of scarlet poppies, which 
were so brilliant in color they almost 
dazzled Dorothy's eyes.
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"Aren't they 
beautiful?" </span>the girl asked, as 
she breathed in the spicy scent of the 
bright flowers.
</p><p>
<span class="diag9">"I suppose so,"</span> 
answered the Scarecrow. <span class="diag9">"When I 
have brains, I shall probably like 
them better."</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag10">"If I only had a 
heart, I should love them,"</span> added the Tin 
Woodman.
</p><p>
<span class="diag11">"I always did 
like flowers,"</span> said the Lion. <span class="diag11">"They 
of seem so helpless and frail. But 
there are none in the forest so 
bright as these."</span>
</p><p>
They now came upon more and more of 
the big scarlet poppies, and fewer and 
fewer of the other flowers; and soon 
they found themselves in the midst of 
a great meadow of poppies. Now it is 
well known that when there are many of 
these flowers together their odor is 
so powerful that anyone who breathes 
it falls asleep, and if the sleeper is 
not carried away from the scent of the 
flowers, he sleeps on and on forever. 
But Dorothy did not know this, nor 
could she get away from the bright red 
flowers that were everywhere about; so 
presently her eyes grew heavy and she 
felt she must sit down to rest and to 
sleep.
</p><p>
But the Tin Woodman would not let her 
do this.
</p><p>
<span class="diag10">"We must hurry 
and get back to the road of yellow 
brick before dark,"</span> he said; and the 
Scarecrow agreed with him. So they 
kept walking until Dorothy could stand 
no longer. Her eyes closed in spite of 
herself and she forgot where she was 
and fell among the poppies, fast 
asleep.
</p><p>
<span class="diag10">"What shall we 
do?"</span> asked the Tin Woodman.
</p><p>
<span class="diag11">"If we leave her 
here she will die,"</span> said the Lion. 
<span class="diag11">"The smell of the 
flowers is killing us all. I myself 
can scarcely keep my eyes open, and 
the dog is asleep already."</span>
</p><p>
It was true; Toto had fallen down 
beside his little mistress. But the 
Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, not 
being made of flesh, were not troubled 
by the scent of the flowers.
</p><p>
<span class="diag9">"Run fast,"</span> said the Scarecrow 
to the Lion, <span class="diag9">"and 
get out of this deadly flower bed as 
soon as you can. We will bring the 
little girl with us, but if you should 
fall asleep you are too big to be 
carried."</span>
</p><p>
So the Lion aroused himself and 
bounded forward as fast as he could 
go. In a moment he was out of sight.
</p><p>
<span class="diag9">"Let us make a 
chair with our hands and carry 
her,"</span> said the Scarecrow. So 
they picked up Toto and put the dog 
in Dorothy's lap, and then they made a 
chair with their hands for the seat 
and their arms for the arms and 
carried the sleeping girl between 
them through the flowers.
</p><p>
On and on they walked, and it seemed 
that the great carpet of deadly 
flowers that surrounded them would 
never end. They followed the bend of 
the river, and at last came upon their 
friend the Lion, lying fast asleep 
among the poppies. The flowers had 
been too strong for the huge beast and 
he had given up at last, and fallen 
only a short distance from the end of 
the poppy bed, where the sweet grass 
spread in beautiful green fields 
before them.
</p><p>
<span class="diag10">"We can do 
nothing for him,"</span> said the Tin 
Woodman, sadly; <span class="diag10">"for 
he is much too heavy to lift. We must 
leave him here to sleep on forever, 
and perhaps he will dream that he has 
found courage at last."</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag9">"I'm sorry,"</span> said the 
Scarecrow. <span class="diag9">"The 
Lion was a very good comrade for one 
so cowardly. But let us go on."</span>
</p><p>
They carried the sleeping girl to a 
pretty spot beside the river, far 
enough from the poppy field to prevent 
her breathing any more of the poison 
of the flowers, and here they laid her 
gently on the soft grass and waited 
for the fresh breeze to waken her.
</p>

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